Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CORONA DISCHARGE ELECTRODE SYSTEM
This invention relates to a corona discharge
electrode system.
In one of its more specific aspects, this
invention relates to a corona discharge electrode system
capable of sustaining a power density of up to 200 watts
per square inch. The corona discharge electrode is par-
ticularly well suited for deglossing coatings curable by
radiant energy.
The application of wear resistant coatings to
floor covering materials is well known. Usually these
coatings provide abrasion resistance and impart a high
gloss appearance to the floor covering material. The
abrasion resistance provided by these coatings is always
a desirable property~ However, the high gloss
appearance is not always desirable, especially in high
wear and thus high maintenance floor areas.
Accordingly, the floor covering industry is continually
looking for new ways to control the gloss level of these
coatings.
Prior art methods of reducing gloss or
flatting typically involve the employment of various
particulate flatting agents in the wear coating
compositions. The use of f]atting agents has been
generally unsatisfactory since their use results in
deglossed coatings which exhibit a reduction in other
physical properties. Another method known in the art is
steam deglossing with ref~rence to U.S~
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Patent 4,197,344 _ -
According to this invention, there is provided
a liquid cooled, liquid-quartz bu~fered corona discharge
electrode system capable of sustaining a power density
of up to 200 watts per square inch comprising:
(a) a cylindrical electrode;
(b) a quartz tube of larger diameter than the
electrode, encasing the electrode and providing a
cylindrical passageway between the surface of the
electrode and the inside wall of the ~uartz tube, the
quartz tube having at one end a liquid inlet means and
at the other end a liquid outlet means for the passage
of a liquid huffer dielectric/coolant whereby the liquid
buffer dielectric/coolant is supplied through the inlet
means, passes thr~ugh the cylindrical passageway in con-
tact with the surface of the electrode and exits through
the outlet means;
(c) a plurality of spacer means interposed
between the electrode and the inside wall oE the quartz
tube serving to hold the electrode stationary in the
quart~ tube whereby the electrode is prevented from
deflecting due to the electrical forces generated during
corona formation; and,
(d) a ground electrode means positioned
parallel to and spaced a distance apart from the quartz
tube forming therebetween a corona discharge region
wherein a material to be treated is passed.
While the corona discharge device of this
invention is suitable for corona treatment of any
materials, it has been found to be particularly
suitable, due to its high power capability of up to 200
watts per sguare inch and its design, for deglossing
coatings curable by radiant energy or a combined radiant
energy and moisture cure which coatings are superimposed
on semi-rigid or even rigid materials~
The electrode system of this invention will be
more easily understood if explained in conjunction with
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the drawings in which:
Figure l depicts an end view of the electrode
of this invention; and,
Figure 2~depicts a front view in cross section
of the electrode system of this invention.
Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown
material to be treated l, carried on means for moving 2
which can be any suitable non-conductive conveyors
system, and passing through corona discharge region 3.
Corona discharge region 3 is the region be-
tween liquid-quartz buffered electrode 4 and ground
electrode 5 which are the two principal parts forming
the corona discharge electrode system 6.
Liquid-quartz buffered electrode 4 is
comprised of cylindrical electrode 7 encased in quartz
tube 8. Quar-t~ tube 8 is of a sufficient diameter to
create cylindrical passageway 9 between the surface of
cylindrical electrode 7 and the inside diameter of the
quart~ tube for the passage of a liquid buffer
dielectric/coolant lO.
Cylindrlcal electrode 7 is held in position in
quartz tube 8 by means of a plurality oE spacer means
13. The spacer means must be constructed of a nonmetal
electrical insulating material and must facilitate the
free flow of the liquid buffer dielectric/coolant
throu~h the cylindrical passageway.
~ uartz tube 8 has at one end inlet means ll
and at its other end outlet means 12. The liquid buffer
dielectric/coolant lO enters cylindrical passageway g
through inlet means ll, passes through cylindrical
passageway 9 in contact with cylindrical electrode 7 and
exits by way of outlet means 12.
Ground electrode 5 can be of any suitable
shape; for example, an elongated plate o~ about the same
length as the cylindrical electrode and is positioned
parallel ~o and a space distance apart from buffered
electrode ~ forming therebetween corona discharge region
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3. If a material to be treated is carried on a conveyor
belt, such as, for example, a 1/32 inch thick silicon
rubber belt 2, ground electrode 5 is, as shown in the
drawing, positione~ adjacent the side of the belt facing
away from the tile, such that, the belt rides over the
ground electrode~ The distance between the bottom of
the buffered electrode and the top surface of ground
electrode is such that the gap between the surface of
the material to be treated and the bottom of the quartz
tube will typically be within the range of from about
0.02 to about 0.25 inch, preferably, 0.03 to about 0.125
inch.
In the operation of the invention, as a
material to be treated 1, in this instance a filled
vinyl floor tile having on its surface an uncured wear
coating curable by radiant energy passes through corona
discharge region 3, the region is flooded with a gas to
be ionized. The liquid-~uartz buffered electrode 4 is
connected to a high-frequency, high voltage A.C.
electrical power supply, and the gas in the corona
discharge region is partially ionized forming a corona
discharge which treats the wet, uncured coating on the
tile as the tile i~ passed through the corona discharge
re~ion. After being treated with the corona discharge,
the coating on the surface of the tile is bulk cured by
radiant energy. After bulk cure the coated tile exhi~
bits a deglossed surface.
The buffered electrode 4 can be made of any
suitable conductive metal encased in a quartz tube.
A copper tube having an outside diameter of
about 1/4 inch and a length oE about 2g inches encased
in a quartz tube having a wall thickness o~ about 0O04
inch, an outside diameter of about 0.60 inch and a
length of about 30 inches has been found satisfactory
for use in deglossing uncured wear coatings on floor
tile.
The cylindrical passageway formed between the
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copper tub~ electrode and the quartz tube serves to
facilitate a generous flow of liquid buffer
dielectric/coolant through the cylindrical passageway in
contact with the electrode.
Preferably, the copper tube electrode is posi-
tioned off center in the bottom of the quartz tube, as
shown in Figure 1. This reduces the gap between the
electrodes and thus reduces the voltage required to form
the corona. However, the copper tube electrode when
positioned less than 2 mm from the inside surface of
the quartz tube has been found to obstruct good L
dielectric/coolant flow. Any suitable liquid buffer
dielectric~coolant can be employed. Preferably the
dielectric/coolant is selectedt through its dielectric
15 constant, to optimize the corona activity of the gas to
be ionized.
The dielectric constant of the liquid buffer
dielectric/coolant has been found to control signifi-
cantly the resulting corona activity. The higher the
20 dielectric constant of the coolant, the greater the
ionization activity generated at a given applied
electrode voltage. Confinement and shapin~ of the
corona discharge has been found to also be affected by
the dielectric properties of the coolant. Easily ioni-
25 zable gases such as argon and helium were found to deve-
lop more usefully formed corona discharges with low t
dielectric constant (2-3) coolants such as mineral or
hydrocarbon transformer oils, whereas gases that are
more difficult to ionize such as carbon dioxide or the
30 freons were found to form better corona discharges with
high dielectric constant (30-40) coolants such as ethy-
lene glycol or glycerine.
The use of water as a coolant has not been
foun~ suitable for use because of its high dielectric
35 constant value which is known to be of the order of 80
at the frequencies and temperatures of useO This
dielectric property of water has been found to cause the
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corona discharges to be sparky, coarse and poorly forrned
or con~ined thus virtually prohibiting any definitive
quality that may be assigned to a particular corona
discharge.
S In the operation of the corona discharge
device of this invention, the dielectric strength of the
li~uid buffer dielectric/coolant is considerably
enhanced by its movement through the passageway at an
average velocity flow of from about 20 to about 30
inches/sec. which flow serves to remove the coolant at
the instant any faulty region develops in the corona
discharge electrode system.
The ground electrode is also of any suitable
conductive material~ The size of the ground electrode
is critical only in the sense that its length and width
determine the length and width of the corona discharge.
An aluminum ground electrode having a length of about 5
inches and a width of about 14 inches has been found
satisfactory for use in a system ior treating floor tile
using t~o buffered electrodes positioned immediately
adjacent and parallel to each other at a center line
separation of aboL~t 2 inches.
The spacer means 13 can be any nonmetal spacers
suitable to hold the electrode in place during operation and
arranged to provide a suitable liquid buf~er
dielectric/coolant flow velocity through the~cylindrical
passageway. The us~ of sets of three Teflon rods, each
rod having a diameter of`about 0.06 inch, to lengthwise
position the bottom of the cylindrical electrode about 2
to 3 mm from the inside diameter of the quartz tube
has been found suitable for use. Each rod is affixed to
the copper tube by inserting one end of the rod through
~ hole in the copper tube of the same diameter as the
rod and resting that end against the inside wall of the
tube. The other end of the rod rests against the inside
wall of the quartz tube. The orientation of each set of
three rods to position the electrode, as shown in Figure
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1 (the smaller two rods are about 90 apart), has been
found satisfactory as has the lengthwise positioning of
sets of rods at a separation of three to four inches
from each other. This separation was found satisfactory
to prevent the copper tube electrode from deflecting
because of the electrical forces that are generated
during corona formation.
It will be evident from the foregoing that
various modifications can be made to this invention.
Such, however, are considered to be within the scope of
this invention.
